The cartoon-like face that was painted over a 19th century religious artwork is now popping up on some of the world's most revered masterpieces - from Madonna and Child to the Mona Lisa.

Cecilia Jimenez, 80, painted her crude rendition of Christ's face over a crumbling fresco on the wall of a Spanish church, and the altered version became an overnight sensation when pictures of her amateur 'restoration' hit the internet.

Now her notorious DIY job has sparked a craze for copycat 'restorations', but art lovers can breathe a sigh of relief as the alterations have been mocked-up purely for comic purposes.

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DIY job: Cecilia Jimenez's botched restoration of a 120-year-old Spanish fresco has sparked a stream of copycat 'restorations' of famous artworks online

Many of Leonardo Da Vinci's most iconic creations have been given the botched restoration treatment; with the Mona Lisa's famously enigmatic smile obscured by Jimienez's work.

Jokers on the web also replaced the face of the baby in the Renaissance master's Madonna and Child with the face from the fresco, and transformed Jesus and all twelve of his apostles in The Last Supper.

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Fans of the restored fresco also tinkered with more modern masterpieces, including Edvard Munch's The Scream, which the expressionist artist worked on between 1893 and 1910.

Fans of the restored fresco have also
tinkered with more modern masterpieces, including Edvard Munch's The
Scream, which the expressionist artist worked on between 1893 and 1910.

Andy Warhol's famous pop art print of Marilyn Monroe has also been given a surreal makeover, with the iconic actress's features swapped for those of the freshly-painted fresco Jesus.

Masterpieces made-over: The Mona Lisa's famous smile is hidden behind the rendition of Jesus, left, while Edvard Munch's subject really has something to scream about in this altered version of the masterpiece, right

Reworking: The handiwork of Cecilia Jiminez has made its way onto The Last Supper, by Renaissance master Leonardo Da Vinci

Spot the difference: Internet jokers have made a not-so-subtle change to Da Vinci's Madonna and Child

Elias Garcia Martinez's 120-year-old Ecce Homo is likely to have attracted little attention outside the Spanish town of Borja before Cecilia Jiminez was inspired to whip out her paintbrush and 'repair' damage to the crumbling fresco on the wall of the Sanctuary of Mercy church.

But since pictures of her handiwork made headlines around the world crowds have been queuing up at the church to have their photo taken with the artwork, and a Twitter account set up under the name of Fresco Jesus has over 4,000 followers.

Initial reports suggested the elderly woman took it upon herself to alter the artwork - which had been damaged by moisture in the church - without asking for permission.

But the 80-year-old has since said the priest had given her the go-ahead to carry out her repair job.